Hood attachment and lock for automobiles



Jan. 30, 1934. E. G. WATROUS noob ATTACHM ENT AND LOOK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Jan. 14, 1931 Patented Jan. 30, 1934 HOOD ATTACHMENT AND LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES Earl G. Watrous, Chicago, 111.

Application January 14, 1931. Serial No. 508,670

'7 Claims.

This inventiorrrelates particularly to hood fasteners and means for locking the same in adjusted position.

The objects of this invention are to provide an improved attachment for drawing the hinged sides of an automobile hood downwardly and against the adjacent parts and locking the same in such closed position; to provide a hood fastener having the operative parts within the hood and actuating means on the outside of the hood and having a lock for locking the same in closed position; and to provide such other novel features and improvements in hood fasteners and looks as will appear more fully from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention;

Fig. 1 is a side view of a portion of a vehicle showing the fastener in position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged inside detail with parts broken away, also showing the fastener in locked position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the device with the locking bolt withdrawn, or in unlocked position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the lock; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking bolt.

In the particular form of the invention as illustrated, the hood 5 is shown with the usual hinged sides 6. The front end of the hood engages with a supporting portion of the vehicle such as the radiator shell '7 in vehicles having water-cooled engines or a corresponding part in vehicles having air-cooled engines. The rear end rests on another supporting portion of the vehicle such as the dash or cowl 8. The lower edges of the hood may also engage with the usual plates or stops 9.

Catches or stops 10 and 11 are secured to the supporting portions of the vehicle at the front and back of the hood respectively. These catches preferably comprise plates having their inner ends turned to form beveled engaging faces 12 and may be secured to the vehicle in any suitable manner as by bolts or rivets 13.

The latch or fastening member comprises a bar 16 having the ends 17 bent or twisted in order to provide engaging surfaces 18 to coact with the correspondingly beveled faces 12 of the stops or catches 10 and 11. The bar 16 is slidably mounted in loops or keepers 19 which are secured to the sides 6 of the hood by means of bolts or rivets 20 and is guided by guide lugs or projections 17' adjacent to the ends of the bar, such lugs being preferably formed by the twisting of the ends. A bracket or plate 21 is secured to the bar 16 at about the center thereof to provide a slot or elongated bearing 22 for receiving a crank pin or eccentric pin 23. This pin is carried by a disc 24 having a crank or handle 25 for turning the same. The disc 24 is mounted on the outside of the hood and has a circular projection 26 which engages with a large hole or bearing 27 in the side of the hood 6. The disc is held in position by means of a circular plate or washer 28 on the inside of the hood and a hollow screw 29 which passes through the plate or washer and engages with a threaded opening 30 '79 in a lock-barrel or projection 31 on the disc. It will also be noted that the pin 23 passes through the plate or washer 28 and is provided with a washer 32 and cotter pin 33, the edges of the washer projecting beyond the edges of the adjacent portions of the bar 16 and bracket 21.

A look bolt 34 projects through the screw 29 and is adapted to engage with a hole 35 in a projection 36 on the bracket 21. This bolt has a circular head 3'? which is adapted to move freely in the lock barrel or cylinder 31 and which is provided with a relatively narrow projection or blade 38. The screw 29 is recessed to receive a spring 39 which tends to move the bolt to the right as seen in Figure 3 or out of locking position. The head of the lock barrel or cylinder 31 has a transverse slot 40 into which the blade or projection 38 may pass when the bolt is turned to bring the same into alignment with the slot. The head is also provided with a central key hole 41 for a key 42. This key has a cylindrical portion which fits in the hole 41 and has a slot 43 for engagement with the blade or projection 38 to turn the bolt 34.

When the hood is to be opened, the key 43 is inserted in the key hole and the bolt 34 is turned from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4, whereupon the spring 39 will cause it to move outwardly so that the bolt is disengaged from the hole 35. The handle 25 is then turned to move the disc 24 which causes the pin 23 to revolve so that it first passes the dead center and then presses down on the bracket 21 and carries the bar or latch 16 downwardly until the ends are below the catches 10 and 11. The hood may then be swung out on its hinge in the usual manner. When the hood is to be again fastened or locked it is swung to closed position and the crank handle is then turned in the opposite direction which causes the pin 23 to press upwardly against the bar 16 and raise it until the ends 17 engage with the catches or stops 10 and 11. The continued movement of the bar tends to first draw the side of the hood down and closely against the adjacent parts of the vehicle. When the pin engages with the end of the slot 22 it is preferably slightly past dead center and tends to fasten the parts securely in this position. If the hood is to be locked the key 42 is inserted and the bolt 34 pressed inwardly to locking position and then turned to approximately ninety degrees so that the blade 38 will press against the head of the lock cylinder and hold the bolt in position as shown in Figure 3. The key is then removed. 7

From this description it will be seen that I provide a fastener whereby the hood may be easily latched or fastened in position by merely turning a small handle and then looked in such position by means of the simple locking mechanism. There are no parts which are apt to become worn or loosened and the arrangement of the fastening bar 16 is such that it will provide for a yielding movement between the hood and the radiator shell if the vehicle is constructed so that such movement is necessary. The principal portions of the fastening mechanism are enclosed in the hood and the only visible portions may be made ornamental in order to improve the looks of the vehicle. It will also be noted that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts in order to adapt the attachment to different types of vehicles or different hood constructions and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction shown and described except as set forth in the following claims. in which I claim.

1. In an attachment of the character set forth, for fastening the movable portions of an automobile hood to the frame, the combination of a bar arranged longitudinally within the hood and adapted to co-operate with catches on the frame, keepers for movably supporting the bar in the hood, a rotatable member mounted in the hood and adapted to be actuated from the outer side thereof, a pin and slot connection between the rotatable member and the bar for actuating the bar and a lock for locking the rotatable member against rotation.

2. In a vehicle hood attachment of the character set forth, the combination of a disc having a circular projection fitting within a hole in the hood, a pin projecting inwardly from the disc, a plate on the opposite side of the hood member, a lock cylinder on the disc, a screw passing through said plate and engaging with the lock cylinder, a lock bolt passing through the screw and adapted to engage with a fixed member within the hood, means for actuating the lock bolt and a hood fastening member adapted to be actuated by said pin.

3. In a hood attachment, the combination of a rotatable member having a circular projection fitting in a bearing in the hood wall, means for turning said member, a pin projecting inwardly from said member, a plate on the opposite side of the hood wall having a hole for receiving the pin, a lock barrel on the rotatable member, a screw engaging with the plate and the lock barrel for holding the plate and rotatable member together, a lock bolt projecting through the screw and having a head within the barrel, a spring tending to hold the bolt out of locking position, a relatively narrow projection on said head, a slot in the end of the barrel for receiving said projection when the bolt is in unlocked position, a key for actuating the bolt, a fastening member within the hood adapted to be actuated by said pin, and a projection on said fas tening member having a hole for receiving the lock bolt for locking the parts in adjusted position.

4. A look of the character set forth, comprising a barrel having a closed head at one end with a slot therein, a threaded member adapted to engage with the barrel, a bolt projecting through the threaded member and having a head in said barrel, a spring tending to move the bolt in one direction, and a blade in the bolt head adapted to engage with the slot in the barrel head and operable by a cylindrical key having a slot in the end thereof for engagement with the blade, said key being adapted to be inserted through a circular key hole in the head of the barrel for actuating the bolt.

5. A look of the character set forth, comprising a cylinder having a closed end with a central keyhole and a transverse slot therein, a closure for the opposite end of the cylinder having a hole therethrough, a bolt engaging with the hole and having a head within the cylinder, a projection on the bolt adapted to engage with the closed end of the cylinder to hold the bolt in looking position and adapted to engage with the slot to permit the bolt to move to unlocking position, and a spring interposed between the closure and bolt head tending to move the bolt to unlocking position said bolt being operable by a key adapted to engage with the bolt head for actuating the same.

6. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with the hinged member of an automobile hood, of a disc rotatably mounted in said member, means for turning said disc, a pin on said disc adapted to cooperate with a movable fastening member for holding the hood member in closed position, and a lock on the disc having a bolt also adapted to coact with said movable fastening member for locking the parts in closed position.

7. In a vehicle hood fastener, the combination of a rotatable member having a circular projection fitting in a bearing in the side of the hood, means for turning said member, means for holding said member in rotatable engagement with the hood, means for operatively connecting said rotatable member with a'hood fastening memben'a lock cylinder on said member, a lock bolt extending inwardly from the cylinder and adapted to engage with a fixed member within the hood and means for actuating the lock bolt.

EARL G. WATROUS. 

